Dwyane Wade’s Cousin Shot and Killed in Chicago

Some more disturbing gun violence news broke on Friday afternoon as a mother of four children was shot and killed as she pushed her baby in a stroller to register her kids for a school in Chicago’s South Side.

My cousin was killed today in Chicago. Another act of senseless gun violence. 4 kids lost their mom for NO REASON. Unreal. #EnoughIsEnough

Nykea Aldridge, 32, was identified as the cousin of Bulls guard Dwyane Wade. Our thoughts and prayers are with the Wade family. The heartbreaking details of this story below via the AP.

Her family said Nykea Aldridge, 32, had recently relocated to the area on the city’s South Side. Chicago police said she was killed Friday when two males walked up and fired shots at a third man but hit Aldridge in the head and arm. She wasn’t the intended target, police said.

Family members are caring for the baby, who wasn’t hurt. Police said Friday evening that they were questioning witnesses in the shooting but had no suspects in custody.

Chicago has been plagued by gun violence for years, especially in a few areas of the South and West sides of the city. A day earlier, Wade had participated via satellite in a town hall meeting in Chicago on gun violence hosted by ESPN, along with his mother, pastor Jolinda Wade.

Outside the emergency room where Aldridge was pronounced dead Friday, Jolinda Wade clutched Aldridge’s grief-stricken mother and spoke for the family as mourners stood in a circle holding hands and praying.

Jolinda Wade said she had participated in the town hall meeting on gun violence Thursday, “never knowing that the next day we would be the ones that would actually be living and experiencing it.”

“We’re still going to try to help and empower people like the one who senselessly shot my niece in the head,” Jolinda Wade said. “We’re going to try to help these people to transform their minds and give them a different direction.”